By the numbers

The San Diego River Park Foundation, known for its frequent volunteer clean-ups, has won a national award for conserving and beautifying the area's namesake river.

Since 2005, the nonprofit group has removed 1.3 million pounds of garbage from the San Diego River Park through its "Healthy River, Healthy Communities" program. Last week, the initiative earned a distinguished service citation from Keep America Beautiful, a national organization that encourages people to improve the environment in their communities.